Called

Despite its claims otherwise, Northern Border Pipeline’sproposed Project 2000 expansion/extension will have a significant”negative impact” on Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America (NGPL),both on a system-wide basis and on its deliveries to North Hayden,IN, the Kinder Morgan pipeline said.

The Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA) last week called intoquestion Vice President Al Gore’s pledge to continue the drillingban along the Florida and California coasts if he’s electedpresident. “The producers of natural gas are dismayed by yourrecent announcement” to stop in its tracks any drilling along thesetwo coasts, where it’s believed more than 40 Tcf of gas may beavailable, wrote NGSA President R. Skip Horvath in a letter toGore. “Denying access to this environmental fuel, some of whichresides offshore, appears inconsistent with the goal for a cleanerfuture.”

Columbia Energy Group (CEG) announced a letter of intent to form a marketing joint venture with Metromedia Energy, Inc. (MME) last week. The venture, called Columbia Metromedia Energy, is subject to execution of a definitive agreement and other conditions and is expected to be operational by the end of the first quarter of 2000. No financial terms were announced.

Columbia Energy Group (CEG) announced yesterday a marketingjoint venture with Metromedia Energy, Inc. (MME). The venture,called Columbia Metromedia Energy, is subject to execution of adefinitive agreement and other conditions and is expected to beoperational by the end of the first quarter of 2000. No financialterms were announced.

Led by what one New York local trader called “massive shortcovering,” the futures market erupted 27.1 cents higher yesterdayin a rally that left many market participants incredulous. Comingon the heels of fresh storage data and subsequent gains in Accesstrading Wednesday, the October contract gapped higher at the openyesterday and never looked back, finishing at $2.697.

Southern California Edison called on FERC last week to approve”without condition or modification” an agreement under which ElPaso Natural Gas would pay the California electric utility $32million and make other concessions to forestall the collapse of its1996 capacity-turnback settlement. The deal, if approved by FERC,would put an end to a four-year legal battle by Edison, the only ElPaso customer to object to the settlement in its entirety. It also”clears the way” for Commission approval of the settlement.

Major gas producers have called for FERC to stay theeffectiveness of its controversial remand decision on Sea RobinPipeline pending rehearing, citing the “enormous impact” that itcould have on offshore production and transportation activities ifit’s implemented prior to being reviewed by the Commission.

Major gas producers have called for FERC to stay theeffectiveness of its controversial remand decision on Sea RobinPipeline pending rehearing, citing the “enormous impact” that itcould have on offshore production and transportation activities ifit’s implemented prior to being reviewed by FERC.

FERC has called on staff to convene a technical conference toreview various options to “resolve the jurisdictional and policyissues” posed by the proposed TriState Pipeline project. TheCommission issued an order calling for the conference after itfailed to act last week on TriState’s request for “expeditedrehearing” of a May decision in which it shelved theChicago-to-Dawn Hub project as proposed and suggested other optionsfor the sponsors to pursue.